JP7127127B2 - Atmospheric plasma processing equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an atmospheric pressure plasma processing apparatus.

Patent Literature 1 discloses an apparatus for producing activated water by irradiating plasma on water stored in a treatment tank.

JP 2009-183867 A

In the apparatus described in Patent Document 1, when it is desired to generate an amount of activated water that exceeds the capacity of the treatment tank, a process of supplying water to the treatment tank, a process of irradiating plasma, and a process of draining water after plasma irradiation. It is necessary to perform a series of steps in a plurality of cycles, and there is a risk that the work will be complicated.

The present application has been proposed in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a plasma processing apparatus capable of generating a desired amount of activated liquid in a simple process.

The present specification includes a flow path through which a liquid to be irradiated with plasma is to be irradiated, a supply unit for causing the liquid to be irradiated in the flow path at a constant flow rate, an irradiation block provided in the flow path, and the liquid to be irradiated in the irradiation block. a plasma head for irradiating a plasma gas on the surface of the irradiation block, the irradiation block having a groove on a surface facing the plasma head and through which the liquid to be irradiated flows; a projection projecting upward at a downstream end of the groove; and a lid portion having a lower surface forming a gap between the lid portion and the protruding portion, the capillaries formed when the fluid passes through the gap when the liquid to be irradiated with the plasma gas is irradiated by the plasma head. An atmospheric pressure plasma processing apparatus is disclosed that phenomenologically effluents from the irradiation block at a steady flow rate.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a plasma processing apparatus capable of generating a desired amount of activated liquid in a simple process.

It is a perspective view which shows schematic structure of an atmospheric pressure plasma processing apparatus. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of the cover housing; FIG. It is a perspective view which shows an irradiation block. It is a sectional view of an irradiation block. It is a figure which shows the structure from an irradiation block to a filling apparatus. It is a figure which shows the control system of an atmospheric pressure plasma processing apparatus.

(Schematic configuration of atmospheric pressure plasma processing apparatus)
A schematic configuration of the atmospheric pressure plasma processing apparatus 10 will be described with reference to FIG. The atmospheric pressure plasma processing apparatus 10 includes a plasma head 20, a cover housing 22, a main body 4, a filling device 3, a primary storage bin 6, a waste bin 7, a liquid bag 2, a flow regulator 5, and the like. The directions shown in FIG. 1 are used in the following description. The cover housing 22 is fixed to a mounting table (not shown). The liquid bag 2 is fixed above the cover housing 22 , and the primary storage bin 6 , disposal bin 7 , filling device 3 and main body 4 are arranged below the cover housing 22 .

The liquid bag 2 is filled with a liquid to be irradiated with plasma gas, such as lactec. From the liquid bag 2 , the liquid to be irradiated, which has been adjusted to a constant flow rate by the flow rate regulator 5 , flows through the tube 110 according to gravity and is guided into the cover housing 22 . Incidentally, the flow rate is, for example, about several ml/minute. The liquid to be irradiated is irradiated with plasma gas by the plasma head 20 in the irradiation block 140 (FIG. 2) inside the cover housing 22 . In the following description, irradiation with plasma gas may be referred to as plasma irradiation. Tubes 111-113 are connected to a branch pipe 114 having three connection ports. Valves 121 and 122 (FIG. 5) are attached to tubes 112 and 113, respectively, as will be described later. Note that the valves 121 and 122 are omitted in FIG. The liquid to be irradiated with the plasma gas flows through the tube 111 according to gravity and is guided to the primary storage bin 6 or the disposal bin 7 . The plasma gas-irradiated liquid stored in the primary storage bin 6 passes through the tube 115 and is enclosed in the storage bag 8 ( FIG. 5 ) incorporated in the filling device 3 . The main body 4 includes a control device 38 (FIG. 6), a processing gas supply device 74 (FIG. 6), a purge gas supply device 132 (FIG. 6), and the like. The main body 4 , the plasma head 20 and the cover housing 22 are connected by power cables and gas pipes (not shown), and power and gases are supplied from the main body 4 . Incidentally, the tubes 110 to 113, 115, the branch pipe 114, the primary storage bin 6, the disposal bin 7, and the irradiation block 140 are sterilized in advance.

Next, the internal structure of the cover housing 22 will be described with reference to FIG.
(Structure of plasma head)
Plasma head 20 includes cover 50, block 52, and a pair of electrodes 56,56. The cover 50 generally has a rectangular tubular shape with a lid, and a block 52 is arranged inside the cover 50 . The block 52 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape and is arranged to protrude from the lower end of the cover 50 . A pair of cylindrical recesses 60 and a reaction chamber 62 are formed inside the block 52 . The reaction chamber 62 communicates with the cylindrical recess 60 and opens at the bottom surface of the block 52 . Each of the pair of electrodes 56 is arranged in a columnar space defined by the columnar recess 60 of the block 52 . Note that the outer diameter of the electrode 56 is smaller than the inner diameter of the cylindrical recess 60 .

The plasma head 20 ejects plasma gas from the ejection port 72 of the block 52 . Specifically, a process gas is supplied to the interior of the reaction chamber 62 by a process gas supply device 74 . At this time, a voltage is applied to the pair of electrodes 56 , 56 in the reaction chamber 62 , and current flows between the pair of electrodes 56 . As a result, an electric discharge is generated between the pair of electrodes 56, and the electric discharge converts the processing gas into plasma. Plasma gas is then ejected from the ejection port 72 of the block 52 .

(Structure of cover housing)
Cover housing 22 includes an upper cover 76 and a lower cover 78 . The upper cover 76 has a generally cylindrical shape with a lid, and a through hole 79 having a shape corresponding to the block 52 of the plasma head 20 is formed in the lid portion of the upper cover 76 . A cover 50 of the plasma head 20 is fixed in a standing state on the lid portion of the upper cover 76 so as to cover the through hole 79 . Therefore, the block 52 of the plasma head 20 protrudes toward the inside of the upper cover 76 so as to extend in the Z direction. As a result, the plasma gas generated by the plasma head 20 is ejected from the ejection port 72 toward the inside of the upper cover 76 in the Z direction.

The cover housing 22 is opened and closed by sliding the upper cover 76 vertically by an opening and closing mechanism (not shown). The lower cover 78 of the cover housing 22 is generally disc-shaped. The outer diameter of the lower cover 78 is made larger than the outer diameter of the upper cover 76, and when the cover housing 22 is closed, it is sealed with packing (not shown).

An intake port 130 is formed in the upper cover 76 and an exhaust port 135 is formed in the lower cover 78 . The intake port 130 is connected to a purge gas supply device 132 via a pipe 131 . An inert gas such as argon is supplied to the inside of the cover housing 22 from the purge gas supply mechanism 32 . A pipe 136 is connected to the exhaust port 135 , and the gas inside the cover housing 22 is exhausted to the outside of the cover housing 22 via the pipe 136 . During plasma irradiation, an inert gas is supplied from the purge gas supply device 132 into the cover housing 22 to purge the inside of the cover housing 22 with the inert gas. The stage 26 is fixed inside the lower cover 78 . An irradiation block 140 is installed on the stage 26 . A through hole 137 through which the tube 110 is inserted is formed in the side surface of the upper cover 76 , and a through hole 138 through which the tube 111 is inserted is formed in the bottom surface of the lower cover 78 . Further, the stage 26 is formed with a through hole 27 through which the tube 111 is inserted.

(Configuration of irradiation block)
Next, the irradiation block 140 will be described with reference to FIGS. The directions shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 are used in the description. The direction from left to right is the direction in which the liquid to be irradiated flows. The irradiation block 140 includes a substantially rectangular parallelepiped irradiation block body 141 and a lid 142 . The size of the irradiation block 140 is, for example, 12 mm×30 mm×94 mm. The long side direction of the irradiation block 140 is the X direction, and the short side direction is the Y direction. The irradiation block main body 141 is formed with a first groove 143 and a second groove 144 having an open surface facing the plasma head 20 when installed in the cover housing 22 . The first groove portion 143 has a U shape whose YZ cross section opens upward. A bottom surface 143a forming the first groove portion 143 is curved. The YZ cross section of the first groove portion 143 is slightly narrower than the cross-sectional shape of the tube 110 , and the tube 110 is fixed by fitting the flexible tube 110 into the first groove portion 143 . The angle formed by the side surface 144a and the bottom surface 144b forming the second groove portion 144 is substantially a right angle. Further, the bottom surface 144b forming the second groove portion 144 is formed so as to be positioned below the bottom surface 143a forming the first groove portion 143. As shown in FIG. The lid portion 142 has a generally flat plate shape, the dimension in the Y direction is shorter than the dimension of the irradiation block main body portion 141 , and is installed on the irradiation block main body portion 141 .

As shown in FIG. 4, the irradiation block main body 141 has a projecting portion 145, a discharging portion 146, a recessed portion 147, and a locking portion 141c in addition to the above configuration. The protruding portion 145 is formed to protrude upward from a portion of the second groove portion 144 . Specifically, the right end of the second groove portion 144 is formed to protrude above the bottom surface 144b. An upper surface 145a of the projecting portion 145 is substantially flat. Further, since the bottom surface 144b of the second groove portion 144 is lower than the bottom surface 143a of the first groove portion 143, a side wall 144c is formed at the left end of the second groove portion 144. As shown in FIG. The ejection portion 146 is formed to the right of the projecting portion 145 . The discharge portion 146 has a discharge concave portion 146a and a discharge convex portion 146b. The discharge recess 146a is recessed downward from the upper surface 145a, and has a substantially circular cross-sectional shape on the XY plane. The discharge convex portion 146b is generally cylindrical and is formed to protrude downward from the lower surface 141b of the irradiation block main body portion 141. As shown in FIG. The discharge projection 146b has a discharge port 146c, a base 146d, and a discharge locking portion 146e. An internal space formed in the discharge projection 146b is the discharge port 146c. The discharge port 146c communicates with the discharge recess 146a. Therefore, the liquid to be irradiated that flows over the upper surface 145a into the discharge recess 146a can flow below the discharge port 146c along the inner walls of the discharge recess 146a and the discharge port 146c.

A base portion 146d is a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the ejection convex portion 146b that is continuous with the lower surface 141b of the irradiation block main body portion 141 . The diameter of the outer periphery of the discharge locking portion 146e formed below the base portion 146d is made larger than the diameter of the tube 111. As shown in FIG. Also, the outer diameter of the base portion 146d is made smaller than the outer diameter of the discharge locking portion 146e. Accordingly, when the flexible tube 111 is fitted up to the base portion 146d, the tube 111 is deformed along the outer circumference of the discharge locking portion 146e, and the tube 111 is fixed. The recessed portion 147 is formed on the right side of the discharge portion 146 and recessed below the upper surface 141 a of the irradiation block body portion 141 . The engaging portions 141c, 141c are formed on the right and left sides of the irradiation block main body portion 141, and are recessed upward with respect to the lower surface 141b of the irradiation block main body portion 141. As shown in FIG. The upper surface of the stage 26 on which the irradiation block 140 is installed is formed with projections (not shown) that protrude upward and are fitted with the locking portions 141c, 141c. The irradiation block 140 is fixed to the stage 26 by fitting the locking portions 141c, 141c and the convex portion of the stage 26 together. As described above, the irradiation block 140 can be easily attached to and detached from the stage 26 because it is not fixed using a fixture.

The lid portion 142 is installed above the irradiation block body portion 141 to cover the projection portion 145 and the recess portion 147 of the irradiation block body portion 141 . The lid portion 142 has a generally flat plate shape, and has a convex portion 142b that protrudes downward from a lower surface 142a on the right side. Further, the surface facing upward of the discharge portion 146 is notched upward. The convex portion 142b is shaped to be fitted with the concave portion 147. As shown in FIG. By fitting the projection 142 b of the lid 142 into the recess 147 of the irradiation block body 141 , the lid 142 is positioned with respect to the irradiation block body 141 . The lid portion 142 is fixed to a lifting device 150 (FIG. 6), and is moved up and down in the Z direction by the lifting device 150 . The lid portion 142 is above the projecting portion 145 and forms a gap 141 d with the projecting portion 145 . Specifically, a gap 141 d is formed between the upper surface 145 a of the irradiation block main body 141 and the lower surface 142 a of the lid 142 and fixed to the lifting device 150 .

(Configuration from irradiation block to storage bag)
Next, the configuration until the irradiation liquid flowing out from the irradiation block 140 is enclosed in the storage bag 8 will be described with reference to FIG.
The tube 111 connects the discharge portion 146 of the irradiation block 140 and the first connection port of the branch pipe 114 . A tube 112 connects the second connection port of the branch pipe 114 and the primary storage bin 6 . A tube 113 connects the third connection port of the branch pipe 114 and the waste bin 7 . That is, the tube 113 branches off from the flow path formed by the tubes 111 , 112 and the branch tube 114 leading from the irradiation block 140 to the primary storage bin 6 . A tube 115 connects the primary storage bin 6 and the storage bag 8 . The tube 112 is mounted so as to slope upward from the branch tube 114 toward the primary storage bin 6 . Valves 121, 122 and 123 are attached to tubes 112, 113 and 115, respectively. Valves 121-123 open and close flow paths in tubes 112, 113 and 115, respectively. A sterilizing filter 124 is attached in the path of the tube 115, that is, inside. The filling device 3 can be opened and closed, and is provided with a through hole 3a through which the tube 115 is inserted. In addition, the filling device 3 has an internal space for storing the storage bag 8, and includes a decompression device 151 for decompressing the internal space while the storage bag 8 connected to the tube 115 is stored in the internal space.

(control system)
As shown in FIG. 6, the atmospheric pressure plasma processing apparatus 10 includes a control device 38, a processing gas supply device 74, a purge gas supply device 132, an elevating device 150, a pressure reducing device 151, a switching unit 152, and a residual amount sensor 153. Communicatively connected, each part is controlled by a control device 38 . The control device 38 has a controller 170 mainly composed of a computer and drive circuits 171-175. The drive circuit 171 is a circuit for controlling power supplied to the electrodes 56, 56, and power is supplied from the drive circuit 171 to the electrodes 56, 56 via a power cable (not shown). The drive circuit 172 is a circuit that controls the flow rate of each gas supplied by the processing gas supply device 74 and the purge gas supply device 132 . The drive circuits 173 to 175 are circuits for controlling the lifting device 150, the decompression device 151, and the switching unit 152, respectively. The switching unit 152 controls opening and closing of the valves 121-123. The switching unit 152 also controls the valves 121 and 122 to switch the primary storage bin 6 or the waste bin 7 into which the liquid irradiated with the plasma gas is to be flowed. The remaining amount sensor 153 outputs to the controller 170 a signal corresponding to the amount of the plasma gas-irradiated liquid stored in the primary storage bin 6 . For example, the remaining amount sensor 153 may be attached to the outside of the primary storage bin 6 and output a signal corresponding to the level of the liquid to be irradiated stored in the primary storage bin 6 . By being attached to the outside of the primary storage bin 6, the sterilization of the primary storage bin 6 can be maintained. The amount of the irradiated liquid stored in the primary storage bin 6 can be calculated from the height of the liquid surface and the known internal cross-sectional area of the primary storage bin 6 .

(Plasma treatment process)
Next, the plasma processing process in the atmospheric pressure plasma processing apparatus 10 will be described. As described above, in this embodiment, lactec is assumed as the liquid to be irradiated. Lactec activated by irradiation with plasma gas is intended for medical treatment of lesions by injecting it into the body. Therefore, it is preferable that the liquid to be irradiated with the plasma gas is sterilized.

The control device 38 causes the cover housing 22 to be purged with the inert gas by supplying the inert gas from the purge gas supply device 132 . Also, the irradiation of plasma gas from the plasma head 20 is started. The processing gas supplied by the processing gas supply device 74 is a gas obtained by mixing an active gas such as oxygen and an inert gas such as nitrogen at an arbitrary ratio. The plasma gas contains oxygen plasma. Also, the liquid to be irradiated, which has been adjusted to a constant flow rate by the flow rate regulator 5, flows through the tube 110 into the second groove portion 144. As shown in FIG. Note that the flow rate adjustment in the flow rate regulator 5 may be performed by an operator or may be controlled by the control device 38 .

As shown in FIG. 4, the second groove portion 144 has a side wall 144c formed at the left end and a projecting portion 145 formed at the right end. Therefore, the liquid to be irradiated is stored in the second groove portion 144 up to about the height of the upper surface 145a of the projecting portion 145 indicated by the dashed line in FIG. Since the second groove portion 144 is installed below the plasma head 20 , the irradiated liquid stored in the second groove portion 144 is irradiated with the plasma gas from the plasma head 20 and activated. In addition, it is known that the treatment effect of the plasma-irradiated liquid to be irradiated is exhibited by irradiating the liquid to be irradiated with the plasma gas for a predetermined period of time. The liquid to be irradiated is stored in the second groove portion 144, thereby being irradiated with the plasma gas for a predetermined time. In addition, the liquid to be irradiated undergoes natural convection in the second groove portion 144 by being irradiated with the plasma gas. This results in a homogeneous, activated liquid to be irradiated that exhibits therapeutic effects. In the following description, the irradiated liquid after passing through the second groove portion 144 may be referred to as the irradiated liquid.

Due to capillary action, the already-irradiated liquid flows through the gap 141d formed between the upper surface 145a and the lower surface 142a, passes through the discharge recess 146a, and flows downward from the discharge port 146c. A stable outflow rate can be obtained by adopting a configuration having the gap 141d. When the irradiation block 140 is configured without the gap 141d, the internal capacity of the second groove portion 144 is small, so the following phenomenon occurs. Even if the liquid to be irradiated continues to flow into the second groove portion 144 and the liquid surface reaches the height of the upper surface 145a, the irradiated liquid does not flow out of the second groove portion 144 due to the surface tension. When the liquid surface of the liquid rises upward and reaches the limit, the already-irradiated liquid flows out of the second groove portion 144 at once. Due to this phenomenon, the outflow amount from the second groove portion 144 varies. In this regard, the formation of the gap 141d allows the liquid to be irradiated to flow out of the second groove 144 along the gap 141d even if surface tension is generated in the liquid to be irradiated stored in the second groove 144. Therefore, a stable outflow amount can be obtained. In addition, the structure in which the liquid to be irradiated flows out through the gap 141 d can reduce the mixture of gas such as plasma gas into the liquid to be irradiated flowing out from the second groove portion 144 . Since the amount of the liquid to be irradiated that flows out from the irradiation block main body 141 is determined by the width of the gap 141d, the lifting device 150 lifts the cover 142 so that the width corresponds to the desired amount of outflow. height is adjusted.

Turning to FIG. 5, the irradiated liquid flowing out of irradiation block 140 flows through tube 111 . Here, the controller 38 controls the valve 121 to be closed and the valve 122 to be open at the start of plasma gas irradiation. This causes the irradiated liquid to flow through the tube 113 to the waste bin 7 . Then, after a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of plasma gas irradiation, the valve 121 is switched to the open state and the valve 122 is switched to the closed state. This allows the irradiated liquid to flow through tube 112 to primary storage bin 6 . In the atmospheric pressure plasma processing apparatus 10, the flowing liquid to be irradiated is irradiated with the plasma gas, so there is a possibility that the already irradiated liquid flowing out within a predetermined time after the start of plasma irradiation is not sufficiently activated. Therefore, the irradiated liquid is flowed into the disposal bin 7 within a predetermined time after the start of plasma irradiation, and the irradiated liquid is flowed into the primary storage bin 6 after the predetermined time has elapsed after the start of plasma irradiation, thereby enabling primary storage. The irradiated liquid stored in the bottle 6 can be sufficiently activated irradiated liquid. A deterioration in the quality of the irradiated liquid sealed in the storage bag 8 can be reduced.

In addition, since the valves 121 and 122 are attached to the tubes 112 and 113, respectively, even if the valve 122 is erroneously closed during the period in which the irradiated liquid is to be discharged to the waste bin 7, the valve 121 will still be closed. is closed, it is possible to prevent inadequately activated irradiated liquid from flowing into the primary storage bin 6 . Further, the tube 112 is attached so that the irradiated liquid flows against gravity, more specifically, upwardly from the branch tube 114 toward the primary storage bin 6 . Further, the tube 113 is attached so that the irradiated liquid flows by gravity, more specifically, downwardly from the branch tube 114 toward the waste bin 7 . As a result, when the valve 122 is opened and the valve 121 is closed, the irradiated liquid does not flow to the tube 112 but to the waste bin 7 . As a result, the amount of the irradiated liquid, which may not be sufficiently activated, entering the primary storage bin 6 can be reduced to a very small amount. For example, if the tube 112 were installed without being tilted, the potentially insufficiently activated irradiated liquid would flow through the section of the tube 112 from the branch 114 to the valve 121. It is also conceivable that previously irradiated liquid, which may not have been activated, remains in this section. By shortening the section through which the irradiated liquid, which may not be sufficiently activated, enters the primary storage bin 6, the amount of the irradiated liquid, which may not be sufficiently activated, can be minimized. can.

For example, when the amount of irradiated liquid stored in the primary storage bin 6 reaches a desired amount, the control device 38 stops the plasma irradiation of the plasma head 20 and stores the irradiated liquid stored in the primary storage bin 6. The work of enclosing in the bag 8 is started. The valve 123 is switched from the closed state to the open state, and the pressure inside the filling device 3 is reduced from the atmospheric pressure by the decompression device 151 , thereby sealing the irradiated liquid in the storage bag 8 . When it is determined from the output signal of the remaining amount sensor 153 that the amount of irradiated liquid sealed in the storage bag 8 has reached a predetermined amount, the decompression device 151 is controlled to return the pressure inside the filling device 3 to atmospheric pressure. As a result, a predetermined amount of irradiated liquid is enclosed in the storage bag 8 . When replacing the sealed storage bag 8 with a new storage bag 8, the valve 123 is closed and the storage bag 8 is replaced. This allows at least the sterility of the tube 115 leading from the valve 123 to the primary storage bin 6 to be maintained. Also, the total amount enclosed in the storage bag 8 is set to be less than the amount of the irradiated liquid stored in the primary storage bin 6 . As a result, it is possible to prevent air from entering the storage bag 8 when the primary storage bin 6 becomes empty.

Next, sterilization processing in the atmospheric pressure plasma processing apparatus 10 will be described. Above, tubes 110-113, branch tube 114, primary storage bin 6, waste bin 7, and irradiation block 140 were described as being pre-sterilized. Since the atmospheric pressure plasma processing apparatus 10 is intended for medical use, it is configured to be easily maintained in a sterilized state. Specifically, tubes 110-113, branch tube 114, primary storage bin 6, and waste bin 7 are relatively inexpensive and easily replaceable components. Therefore, in a situation where plasma processing is performed intermittently at intervals, the sterilization state of the atmospheric pressure plasma processing apparatus 10 can be easily maintained by replacing these parts. Further, the irradiation block 140 is configured so that the tubes 110 and 111 can be easily attached and detached. In addition, since the irradiation block 140 is configured to be installed on the stage 26 without using fixtures, it can be easily removed from the cover housing 22 . Also, the irradiation block 140 is small enough to be autoclaved. Therefore, the irradiation block 140 can be easily sterilized by being heat-treated in an autoclave. In addition, although the liquid to be irradiated is exposed in the cover housing 22, it is sterilized by the sterilization filter 124 before being sealed in the storage bag 8. Sterility is maintained. It has been confirmed that the irradiated liquid filtered by the sterilizing filter 124 is not deactivated.

In the above embodiment, the flow path of the liquid to be irradiated formed by the tube 110, the irradiation block 140, the tube 111, the branch pipe 114, the tube 112, and the primary storage bin 6 from the liquid bag 2 to the primary storage bin 6 is It is an example of a flow path. The liquid bag 2 and the flow regulator 5 are examples of a supply section. The second groove portion 144 is an example of a groove portion. The primary storage bin 6 is an example of a storage container, the storage bag 8 is an example of an enclosure container, and the tube 115 is an example of an outflow side tube. Tube 113 is an example of a waste tube. The filling device 3 is an example of a vacuum container.

According to the embodiment described above, the following effects are obtained.
The liquid to be irradiated filled in the liquid bag 2 is adjusted to a constant flow rate by the flow rate regulator 5 and supplied into the cover housing 22 through the tube 110 . The liquid to be irradiated flowing to the irradiation block 140 is irradiated with the plasma gas by the plasma head 20 . By supplying the liquid to be irradiated at a desired flow rate from the liquid bag 2 and the flow controller 5, the liquid to be irradiated irradiated with the desired amount of plasma gas can be produced in a simple process.

Also, the irradiation block 140 is detachable from the tubes 110 and 111 and the stage 26 . Accordingly, the irradiation block 140 can be easily sterilized by heating in an autoclave, for example.

The irradiation block 140 also has a second groove portion 144 , a projecting portion 145 and a lid portion 142 . The projecting portion 145 dams up the liquid to be irradiated and stays in the second groove portion 144 . Therefore, since the plasma gas is irradiated for a predetermined period of time, a homogeneous irradiated liquid can be obtained. In addition, since the gap 141d is formed between the protruding portion 145 and the lid portion 142, the irradiated liquid flows downstream due to capillary action, so that a stable outflow amount can be obtained.

Moreover, since the atmospheric pressure plasma processing apparatus 10 includes the primary storage bin 6 and the tube 115, the irradiated liquid can be put into the storage bag 8 without being exposed to the outside air.

Also, since the tube 115 is provided with a sterile filter 124 , the irradiated liquid can be sterilized before being enclosed in the storage bag 8 .

The atmospheric pressure plasma processing apparatus 10 also includes a tube 113 branching from the tubes 111 and 115 connecting the irradiation block 140 and the primary storage bin 6 . The atmospheric pressure plasma processing apparatus 10 also includes a switching unit 152 for switching between the primary storage bin 6 and the tube 113 to flow the irradiated liquid. In the atmospheric pressure plasma processing apparatus 10, the flowing liquid to be irradiated is irradiated with the plasma gas, so the irradiated liquid flowing out within a predetermined time after the start of plasma irradiation may not be sufficiently activated. The switching unit 152 causes the irradiated liquid to flow through the tube 113 to the disposal bin 7 for a predetermined time after the start of plasma irradiation, so that the irradiated liquid with stable quality can be stored in the primary storage bin 6. . Also, the tube 113 is attached in a direction in which the already-irradiated liquid flows by gravity. This allows previously irradiated liquid, which may not be sufficiently activated, to flow by gravity through tube 113 to waste bin 7 .

The atmospheric pressure plasma processing apparatus 10 also includes a filling device 3 in which the internal space is decompressed while the storage bag 8 to which the tube 115 is connected is housed in the internal space. As a result, the irradiated liquid can be enclosed in the storage bag 8 without exposing the inside of the storage bag 8 to the outside air.

It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and that various improvements and modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention.
For example, although sterile filter 124 has been described above as being mounted within tube 115, it is not so limited. It may be attached to any of the channels from the irradiation block 140 to the storage bag 8 .

Also, in the above, tube 112 is mounted so as to slope upward from branch pipe 114 towards primary storage bin 6 and tube 113 is mounted so as to slope downward from branch pipe 114 towards waste bin 7 . However, it is not limited to this. The tube 113 may be configured to be attached in the direction of gravity. Alternatively, the tube 112 may be attached substantially horizontally, and the tube 113 may be attached so as to incline downward from the branch pipe 114 toward the disposal bin 7 or in the direction of gravity. Alternatively, the tube 112 may be attached so as to incline upward from the branch tube 114 toward the primary storage bin 6, and the tube 113 may be attached substantially horizontally. In either case, the irradiated liquid, which may not be sufficiently activated, is flowed into the waste bin 7, so that the irradiated liquid whose quality is stable can be stored in the primary storage bin 6. - 特許庁

2 liquid bag 3 filling device 5 flow rate regulator 6 primary storage bottle 8 storage bag 10 atmospheric pressure plasma treatment device 110, 111, 112, 113, 115 tube 114 branch pipe 140 irradiation block 144 second groove

Claims (9)

a channel through which the liquid to be irradiated with plasma flows;
a supply unit that causes the liquid to be irradiated to flow through the flow path at a constant flow rate;
an irradiation block provided in the channel;
a plasma head for irradiating the liquid to be irradiated with a plasma gas in the irradiation block;
with
The irradiation block is
a groove in the surface facing the plasma head, through which the liquid to be irradiated flows;
a protruding portion protruding upward at the downstream end of the groove;
a lid having a lower surface above the protrusion and forming a gap between the protrusion and the protrusion;
has
The liquid to be irradiated, which has been irradiated with the plasma gas by the plasma head, is caused to flow out from the irradiation block at a stable flow rate due to a capillary phenomenon that occurs when the fluid passes through the gap .
Atmospheric pressure plasma processing equipment. a channel through which the liquid to be irradiated with plasma flows;
a supply unit that causes the liquid to be irradiated to flow through the flow path at a constant flow rate;
an irradiation block that is provided in the flow path and retains the liquid to be irradiated;
a plasma head for irradiating the liquid to be irradiated retained in the irradiation block with a plasma gas;
with
The irradiation block is
a groove in the surface facing the plasma head, through which the liquid to be irradiated flows;
a protruding portion protruding upward at the downstream end of the groove;
a lid having a lower surface above the protrusion and forming a gap between the protrusion and the protrusion;
has
The liquid to be irradiated, which has been irradiated with the plasma gas by the plasma head, is caused to flow out from the irradiation block at a stable flow rate due to a capillary phenomenon that occurs when the fluid passes through the gap .
Atmospheric pressure plasma processing equipment. 3. The atmospheric pressure plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said irradiation block is detachable. 4. The atmospheric pressure plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the width of said gap is adjusted by adjusting the height of said lid. 5. The atmospheric pressure plasma processing apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising an elevating device for adjusting the height of said lid. a storage container provided in the channel and storing the irradiated liquid;
6. The atmospheric pressure plasma processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , further comprising an outflow side pipe connecting said storage container and a sealed container in which said irradiated liquid is sealed. 7. The atmospheric pressure plasma processing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein a sterilizing filter is provided in the path of said outflow side pipe. a waste pipe branching from the flow path between the irradiation block and the storage container;
a switching unit for switching between the channel and the disposal pipe to flow the irradiated liquid,
8. The atmospheric pressure plasma processing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein said disposal pipe is installed in a direction in which said irradiated liquid flows by gravity. 9. The decompression storage device according to any one of claims 6 to 8 , further comprising an internal space for housing the enclosed container, wherein the internal space is decompressed while the enclosed container to which the outflow-side pipe is connected is accommodated in the internal space. The atmospheric pressure plasma processing apparatus according to any one of the above.

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